The connection of various pieces of tubing, particularly polymeric tubing, in a variety of configurations is well-known in the construction of many appliances and many plumbing applications. When such pieces of polymeric tubing are attached to each other to form a tubing assembly, it has been known to attach flexible pieces of such tubing using a crimp ring to compress the tubing ends deformably down against a rigid insert in the internal conduit in the tubes. This use of crimp rings is particularly well known in association with elastomeric hose or tubing, where the material possesses sufficient elasticity to be deformed without breaking. When a connector having a permanently formed feature in the internal conduit (such as a bend, reducer or intersection) has been required, the prior art has made these connectors out of metal, especially brass or copper, or a rigid polymeric material, especially a thermoplastic. In either of these cases, the relative non-deformability of the connector ends effectively precludes the connector end from being deformably compressed between a compressive element fitted around the outer circumference of the connector end and a rigid nipple-like element inserted into the internal conduit. Conversely, the manufacture of connectors from a material having the requisite elasticity to be compressively deformed into a leak-tight seal has been unknown, because such a material generally lacks the rigidity to be permanently formed into the required feature in the internal conduit while withstanding the forces generated from containing fluid under pressure. In contrast to the elastomeric hose-type materials, the thermoplastic or thermoset materials previously known which are used in straight runs of tubing can translate the forces into solely radial components and can effectively handle the pressure, but can only tolerate being bent around a gentle large radius. If such tubing is to be permanently formed into an "L", "T" "Y", "X", a reducing connector, or the other shapes required of connectors in everyday tubing applications, the material will lack the deformability necessary to be compressed between a crimp ring and an insert.
If a polymeric connector could be formed from the same material as the straight runs of the tubing in a tubing assembly and be attached to the tubing ends using the same inserts and compressive elements used to attach the straight runs to each other, the construction of such tubing assemblies would be greatly enhanced, as will be the aesthetic appeal of the product. This is an advantage provided by the present invention.